Improvement in seeder and fertilizer combined



3 Sheets-Sheet l.

s. M. PIRBY.

Seeder and Fertilizer.

No. 94,406. Patented Aug. 31, 1869.

4%.. 37e@ WMM, fwwgezm/ 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. M. FIRBY.

Seeder and Fertilizer.

Patented Aug. 31, 1869.

H. PETERS, PHQTO-LITHOGQAPHR. WASHINGTN, D C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. S. M. FIREY.

Seeder and Fertilizer.

Patented Aug. 31, 1.869.

N, PiTERS. PHofO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGYON, n C.

@eine diijiiw.

SAMUEL M. FIREY, OF CLEAR SPRING, MARYLAND.

LettersTatent No. 94,406, dated August 31, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDER AND FERTILIZER COMBINED.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it 'may conce/rn.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. FIREY, of Clear Spring, in the county ofWashington, and State of Maryland, have invented. certain new and usefulImprovements in Seeding-Machines, Fertilizers, and Corn-Planters; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,which make part of this specification, and in winch- Figure l representsa plan or top view of a machine embracing my improvements;

Figure 2 represents avert-ical longitudinal section of the same, throughthe line x x of fig. 1;

Figure 3 represents a transverse section of the machine, taken at theline y y ofiig. 1, looking toward the front;

Figure 4 represents a vertical sectional view of the mechanism foroperating the expansible pulley, by which the planting of corn isregulated, according to horizontal distance;

Figure 5 represents a plan or top view of the several parts shown infig. 4;

Figure 6 represents a vertical section of one of the lowerfeeding-chambers, and its interniittently-wiuged feeder;

Figures 7 and 8 represent, respectively, a vertical transverse sectionand an elevation of one of the feeding-cylinders and its enclosing-case;

Figure 9 represents an elevation of the end of the hopper, and thegearing for operating the fertilizer;

Figure, 10 represents a vertical sectional view of the same;

Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14, represent views of the rubber spring, andits connection with the drag-bars;

Figure 15 is a view in perspective of the seedingtube, and itsfunnel-shaped or flaring mouth Figure .16, a view of the slotted platefor operating the fertilizi11g-slides,r

Figure 17, a view of the cani, the weights, and the foot-levers; and

Figure 18, a view of one of the oscillating boxes of the rock-shaft ofthe fertilizing-hopper.

In the accompanying drawings- A represents a rectangular frame, uponwhich the several parts-of the machine are arranged and supported;

B, the supporting and carrying-wheels; and

C, the tongue, which is connected to the frame by two horizontal beamsA, extending from the tongue G diagonally toward Veach side and rear ofthe machine, and to which are secured the inner ends of two short axlesD of the supporting-wlieels.

'lhc diagonal beams A, being secured to Vthe top of the frame A, and theaxles to the under side thereof, the inner ends of these axles D are,therefore, curved or turned upward to connect with these beams, and alsoto allowa horizontal rod, E, to be'fitted into the lower part of eachaxle, and secured by screw-bolts a, fig. 3, and thus form a brace to thewhole frame.

Upon this frame the hopper'for the grain and fertilizery is mounted. Itis divided into two compartments, one, F, for the grain, and the other,F2, for the fertilizer.

Immediately beneath the hopper a horizontal shaft, G, is arranged, uponwhich are secured the feedingcylinders H, sc as to communieate in theusual man ner, with the openings in the grain-hopper.

Each of these cylinders is enclosed by a case, b, secured to the underside of the hopper, and divided by a partition into compartments, so asto divide the cells of the cylinders into two divisions for sowing orplanting, as may be desired, as shown in gs. 7 and 8.

I construct these cylinders of India rubber, having their circumferencelittedwith iron bands d', to which ribs e, for dividing the cylinderinto cells or chambers, are secured.

The body H ofthe cylinder, therefore, being of rubber, will yield toresistance in any direction, while the shaft G, upon which it ismounted, serves as a fixed centre. The bands d, which -surround it, areinelastic, and preserve its cylindrical form, but should any one of itsribs'e come in contact with a gravel, or other hard substance, the wholebody of the cylinder will yield, and thus carry the gravel out of thecase with the grain.

The shaft G, being fixed to the rubber cylinder', of

rendering it a universal-yielding cylinder, at the same time inelastic,to preserve its cylindrical form, and make it durable and light. Theribs e, which divide it into cells or chambers, are placed upon itscircumference, parallel with its axis, and they are notched or dividedabout the middle of their length, so as to receive the partition cwithin the case which encloses thc'cylinder, and thus divide it into twochambers, within which the ribs revolve.

That portion of the ribbed cylinder adapted to planting corn is madeconical, so as to bring the corn ont of its case more readily byyielding sideways, or in an inclined direction, as well as directlyatright angles with itsfaxis, as shown in iig. 8.

The drill-tubes l are united, in the `usual manner,

m2, and thus vibrates the feeding-arms m, and affords a simple methodof'v overcoming the dead-centres, and obtaining a constant feed offertilizcrs.-

The segment-pinion o of the rock-shaft m? is thrown into and out of gearwith the segment-pinion p, by means of a clutch-lever, fr, as shown infigs. 9 and 10.

The mechanism for converting the seeding-machine into a corn-planterconsists of' certain devices for dropping the corn in hills orcheck-rows, according to-hori-- zontal distance.

This is accomplished by means of an expansible pulley, mounted upon ahorizontal shaft, L, secured in bearings in the frame beneath thehopper, which pulley is expanded and contracted by means of a pendentweight, suspended from near the front ofthe frame, and a horizontalhinged suspension -bar, to which the drill-tubes arc attached, forcarrying the rubber tubes of the drills, so as to receive the comdirectly from the feeding-cyliinlers, and drop it at proper intervals,according to the revolutions of the expansible pulley.

. The expansible pulley M is located near thc middle of the frame, andis made in sections s, grooved to receive a cord or chain, N, which itth'ives.

Each section of the pulley is hinged to the opposite ends of arms t,whose other ends are hinged in like manner toV two bearing-heads orboxes yu, mounted upon the shaft L, on opposite sides of the sectionalpulley M, as shown in figs. 3 and 5, so as to slide thereon, andapproach nearer to or recede further from the said pulley, and thusincrease or diminish its diameter.

The sections s of the pulley thus secured are of a size to leave spacesbetween them, and thus interrupt the continuity of the circumference ofthe pulley, and they are held in posit-ion, so as to expand and contractin radial lines, by means of two circular plates or disks r, arrangedvertically upon the shaft L, and turning therewith.

These plates c are provided with radial slots e', into and through whichthe arms t of the sectional pulley M project, and these plates thus forma case, to main-` tain the sections of the pulley in proper rela'ionwith each other, because being fixed to their hubs u, on the shaft L,will cause the arms t to rise and fall within the slots, as the saidsliding heads are brought nearer to or carried further from each other.

This pulley is revolved by a pinion, 13, fig. 9, on the shaft L,matching with the driving-gear K1, and communicates motion, byv means ofthe' endless cord N, to a revolving wheel, 0, carrying a tooth, x, uponits circumference, which .latter is arranged to strike upon a smalltoothed wheel, l), on a horizontal rod, P1, which carries winged wheels,I, fig. 6, located in the intermittently-feeding hoppers P3 of thehinged sus pension-bar Q.

The toothed wheel O is placed upon a short shaft, arranged between thesectional pulley and the intermittently-feeding chambers, and is mountedin bearings in a metallic frame, It,`secured at its fiont ends to across-timber of theframe, and to the brace-rod E of the short axles.

The endless 'cord N ofthe sectional pulley M passes around a smallpulley, u', on the face of the toothed wheel O, and in order that thecord may expand and contract with the sectional pulley, it is passedover two small fixed pulleys, a vez, and under a central small pulley,wi, having its journals fitted-in slot-s in a hanger, uff, secured tothe under side of the hopper, so that the lastulamed' pulley may risewithin said hanger, and fall by its weight, to take up any slack in theendless cord, or let it out, with the expansion and contraction of thesectional pulley, as shown in figs. Z and 4. Its tautness is thus alwaysinsured, to maintain the regularity of the revolution of the toot-hedwheel.

The suspension-bar Q is located in the rear of the short axles D, and ishinged to the brace-rod E by two arms S, fig. 3, which also carry theintermittently-dropping corn-chambers l.

These chambers are provided with four win gs, which are secured by hubsto the Vends of the horizontal rod l", upon which the intermittently-rcvolving small toothed wheel P is secured.

The corn-chambers are provided with necks above andl below their wingedhubs, in which are secured the rubber tubes J, the upper one having itsrubber fun` n'el-shaped mouth J' secured by the clasp lo of the ease ofthe sceding-cylimler, while the lower one leads into the drill-tubes,land thus a communication is effected directly between thecontinuously-revolving seedingcylinder and the intermittently-revolvingwings of the corn-chambers.

The small wheel P, ou the rod of the intermittently-revolving wings, isprovided with four teeth or pro` jections, corresponding in positionradially with thefeeding-wings l, and they are arranged in suchproximity to the tooth a: ofthe wheel 0, that each revolution of thewheel will bring the tooth thereof in Contact with one of the teeth ofthe horizontal rod P1, and

grains of corn resting upon the wing in each chamber will be dischargedthrough the opening .in the lower side of said chamber, and at the sametime bring the next wing in a position within the case of the chamber,to form a stop to the descending corn, in readiness to be turned to dropthe next hill. t

The toothed wheel P may be held from presenting its teeth irregularly tothe action of the tooth z, by a spring, 14, figs. 2, 3, and 5.

In order to prevent the radial wings from bindingr within thecorn-chambers P, in discharging the corn, I make the rear sides l"thereof, opposite the wings, hinged, and held close against the side ofthe case by a spring, or the hinged side may be weighted for thatpurpose, so as to form a slightly-yielding side of the becoming lockedby a grain of corn between it and the case, which would canse the wingsto bind and interrupt their turning.

The horizontal bar Q of the intermittently-feeding chambers is suspendedby two chains,'15, figs. 2 and 3, to the two diagonal beams of theframe, and being also hinged, by the arms S to the brace-bar of theaxles, it must, therefore, ris land fall in the arc of a circle,maintaining always its fone-toothed wheel in a position to be struck bythe revolving single-toothed wheel, so that the flexibility of' thesuspension-bar cannot interfere with the regular intermittent rot-ationof the winged feeders.

It will be observed that the devices thus arranged and operating wouldplant corn irrespective of regular horizontal distances. To compensatefor this, and to drop the hills of corn at regular intervals apart,irrespective of the undulations ou the surface of the ground, I arrangeauautomatic device, consisting ot' a pendent weightedlever, T, suspendedfrom a horizontal rod, y, secured to the under side of one of the fronttimbers of the frame, so that it will hang downward, and swing back andforth upon said rod. i

This rod g/ is arranged to turn in its hearings by the movement of thependent weight, and carries acam or groove of peculiar shape, which isconnected to the sliding bearings u, of the sectional pulley M, by meansof two arms somewhat in the form of a pair of tongs, having two long,16, and two short ends, 17, as shown in figs. 1 and 5, :nldpivoted,11ear their short ends, to the under side of one of the fronttimbers of the frame.

The rod of the pendent weight is ou a horizontal line with the shaft ofthe sectional pulley, and the long ends 16 of' the pivoted `arms areforked, so as to fit into grooves, like a clutch, in the sliding hubs u,of

thus turn it a quarter of a revolution, so that'thel chamber, and thusprevent the possibility of the wings the sectional pulley, while theshort ends 17 of these arms fit into the grooves of the cam, so as toembrace the sides of a double frog-shaped cam, z, united at the base ofits angles, so that their apices are at the extreme end of the groove. Y

When the machine is moving over a level surface,

the short ends 17 of the arms occupy a positionwith- .in the groove oneither side of the widest part of the cam, and, therefore, do not changethe distance between the intervals of planting, as the sectional pulleywill maintain a regular anduniform degree of expansion; but in ascendingor descending a hill, the sur#l tace-distance becomes greater than ahorizontal, and it becomes'necessary, in order to equalize the twodistances, to reduce the diameter of the sectional pulley, and therebydiminish its action upon the toothed wheel, so as to canse it torevolvewith a less degree of rapidity. 17 of the arms occupy the positionbefore described,

kbut in ascending or .descending a hill, they converge the pendentweight T must have a fixed connection uponthe rod lfof theoperating-cam, which is made by means of an arm, 18, on said rod, havingits lower end notched, so as to fit into corresponding teeth in ashoulder on the upper-end of said pendent weight, as shown in figs. 2and 4, and thuslock the latter to its axis; and, the4 pendent'leverhaving sufficient weight, it is'plan, that as its lower end swingstoward the liont in descending, or toward the rear in ascending a hill,it will, of course, so operate the cam z as to contract the pulley M,because the arms 17 will be caused to pass within the groove, toward oneor the other of the apices of the cam', whether the weight swing -to-lward the front; or the rear,` and thus effect theintermittent droppingof the corn as regularly, and at the same distances, as if the machinewere travelling over a level surface.

The connection of the weighted lever with its axis, while it isxed, isalso capable of adjustment, so as to be set at different inclinationswith the frame, by'f its notched arm 18, when operating upon groundhaving quite steep hills, so that the weight will .the more readily turnthe cam the required distance to contract the pulley suddenly andsuificiently.

' rlhe pendent weight is held iu its locked position by a spring fixedto the axis of the weight, so a's to bear it constantly against thefixed arm 18.

In order that the expanslble pulley may be made to act suddenly, tocorrect' any error .which may have arisen, from any cause, in planting,in equal distances, on a level surface,'I yarrange a foot-lever, 19,upon the axis of the cam, so that the attendant, from his seat,

may use his foot againstthe lever, thereby contract-v ing the pulley,and-thus correcting any. irregularity in the distance between the hills.

This mechanism for planting corn is secured to the machine, so that itmay be removed entirely therefrom when the machine is used for plantingseed ycontinuously.

` An automatic drill-tooth marker may' be used in connection with thismachine; but, as the automatic expansible and contractible pulley isabsolutely correct in planting corn in check-rows, it is not deemedessential to use a marker in `connection therewith.

Having thus described my invention,

1 clairn- Upon lcvelground, therefore, the short ends 1. In combinationwith shortaxles D D, the diagonal beams Az, of the frame A, arrangedabove the axles, substantially as before described.

2T The combination of the short axles D D., the diagonalbeamsA, and theframe A, with the horizontal brace-rod E, arranged beneath and connectedwith .the axles D, substantially as before described.

and yielding hopper, and facilitating the transmission lof grain to thetube, substantially as befre described.

7. The funnel or flaring mouth of the conductingtube, secured to thecase of the seeding-cylinder by means of a clasp, so that the tube maybe removed at pleasure, substantially as before described.

8. The combination of a conducting-tube and funnel with the case of theseeding-cylinder and the hinged securing-clasp, constructed and arrangedsubstantially as before described.

9. The double drag-bars, hinged, separately and directly, to thedrilling-tube, and to the frame, thereby doubling the vstrength of thcdrag-bars, while two of them` also serve as the tripping-'levers of thedrill-tube, substantially as described.

10. The adjustable notched carriage t, of the inner" drag-bar Il, incombination with the adjustable seat iz, of the spring It, securedthereon, as described.

11. The stirrup i, capable of adjustment horizontally on the outerdrag-barlz, to which it is also locked vertically, in combination withthe adjustable carriage i and the adjustable seat i, substantially asdescribed.

12. The rock-shaftof the fertilizing-,hoppen secured in oscillatingseats or boxes, so as to allow it to beremoved, with itsarms, atpleasure, substantially as described.`

13. LThe vibrating feeding-arms m, divided, so that .each arm will forma pair, m5, and vibrated, so that each arm of the pair will 'only passVover one-half of the opening, to feed the fertilizer, substantially asdescribed.

141. The combination of the removable rock-shaft m2 and itsoscillatingboxes mi with the feeding-arms m, constructed and arranged substantiallyas described.

15. The fertilizing-arms md operated bymeans of the elliptical groove orcam q2, in'connection with the radial arm q and the segment-pinions oand p, as herein described. `1

1G. The slides of the fertilizing-hopper, operated, s as to increase ordiminish the feed of the fertilizer, by means of theecceutrically-grooved pivoted plate, as herein described.

17. The expansible and contractible pulley, con-` structed and operatingsubstantially as described.

18. The expansible and contractible pulley, constructed in sections, incombination with the arms, to which they are hinged, substantially asdescribed.

19. 'lhe sectional pulley, expanded and contracted, automatically, bymeans of a pendulous weight, or its equivalent, substantially asdescribed.

20. In combination with a sectional pulley and itsautomatically-operating weight, the cam and the pivoted arms, arrangedand operating substantially as before described.

21. The pendulous weight, made adjustable, in the manner and for thepurpose herein described.

22. The expanding and contracting pulley M, in combination with thetoothed wheels 0 and P, opel'- ating substantially as before described.

'23. lThe combination of a hopper, for feeding con-y bers, hinged, so asto form a yielding side thereto, for y `the purpose of preventing thechoking of the chambers, substantially as herein described.

27. The combination of an expansible and contract ible pulley with a xedcase or guidng-plates and ilexible supporting-arms, substantially asdescribed.

28. The combination of the pendulous weight T, cam z, expansible andcontractible pulleyM, with the foot-lever 19, for the purpose described.

SAML. M. FIREY.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. GROVE, SAMEL ULRICH.

